D&D 5E [D&D 5e] It's a Brand New World [FULL]

(Please forgive the huge images in this post. I'm sure there is a way to make them smaller, but I've yet to figure it out)

Rogue's Gallery

[MENTION=6755061]Kiraya_TiDrekan[/MENTION], [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION], this is for you guys.

This is my fledgling world, as yet unnamed. The basic concepts are generic fantasy and (mostly) low-ish magic. I hate dragonborn; there probably aren't very many of them around here.

As of now I have no concrete story line worked out for this game. My intent is to take information from submitted character backgrounds and weave it into a suitable story. Therefore, it is imperative that anyone interested in this game submit a fairly detailed history that we can possibly work from.

Players must understand that this is, as the thread title says, a Brand New World. We will be building this world together, as we play. Nothing is concrete.

* I will take a maximum of 6 characters. Kiraya_TiDrekan and Shayuri have two of them, if they wish.
* Standard point buy

Some Posting Guidelines
* Please, for the love of God, be literate. I realize we're not all perfect spellers, but if u type like dis, don't bother.
* Understand that the DM controls the NPCs. Please don't tell me what the bartender does or thinks. I'm only interested in what your character is doing.
* While daily posts would be great, it's not always practical. However, I will ask that you check in often enough to be able to post when it's your turn.
* Understand that if you make us wait on you, we won't.
* Understand that this list is fluid, and will probably grow over time.

Below are two blow-up sections of the above world, one obviously more complete than the other. Below each image are the few tidbits of information that are concrete. Other named cities or towns are there in name only, and may or may not be fleshed out during this game. These maps are very editable, and I will likely make use of that benefit throughout the game.



ROMEDA (I think Shayuri might have played here once):
* Haldiron (HAL-di-ron): A loose collection of dwarven clans in a giant undermountain stronghold. The current ruler is Dangobar of Clan Nogginsplitter.
* The Feymoors: Here there be trolls. And hags. Be warned.

THE CENTRAL MARCHES
Bjorah's Cliff (bee-YOR-uh): Nestled in the mountains to the central west of the map, it's a mostly human settlement known for it's high quality leather goods. Most Bjoran leather armor will confer some sort of statistical game bonus (to be discussed at an appropriate time). The forests are teeming with wildlife, and hunters profit well so long as they respect the land and all it offers. Those who don't, well...

Kingsport is the de facto capital of the central marches. It is a large city, and is the home of Blackthorn Academy, a college for the arcane (despite this being a "low-ish" magic setting, Blackthorn Arcanists are nothing to sneeze at!). It is filled with canals (think Venice, or Stormwind if you're a WoW player), and ferrymen will happily navigate you through the city for a small fee. If you've got the coin, it's quicker than walking. Though there doesn't seem to be anything actively malevolent, there is an overall dreary atmosphere throughout the city.

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Miscellaneous Map Compendium

Bjorah's Cliff, located in the Central Marches

Beautiful maps.

Where is Kingsport in relation to the Fey Moors? I am planning on my character being from Timberfall and going to Kingsport to study when she came of age, but harboring a terrible secret.

Nissa choked down tears as she embraced her father, "I'll be alright daddy. The trip won't be that long and then I'll finally be at a true place of learning. I'll be in my element."

Her father held her close, "Just be careful. You...you're a very special girl."

Nissa whispered, "I just wish mother were here to see me off."

She couldn't see her father's expression harden. His words didn't quite reach his voice..."No, you don't."

Nissa is a barbarian with the sage background, an academic who believes she is destined to be a great scholar and possibly a wizard. Her rage manifests as the hag blood she inherited from her mother. The hags of the fey moor cursed Nissa's mother into giving birth to a hag child and Nissa's mother died in childbirth. Nissa's father knew and gave her a special tincture to keep the haggish blood at bay. Nissa believes the medicine is for her chronic headaches.

Stats forthcoming. I'm planning on multiclassing her as a Pact of the Tome Warlock with an archfey patron (something hag related, preferably).

Kiraya_TiDrekan said:

Beautiful maps.

Where is Kingsport in relation to the Fey Moors? I am planning on my character being from Timberfall and going to Kingsport to study when she came of age, but harboring a terrible secret.

Nissa choked down tears as she embraced her father, "I'll be alright daddy. The trip won't be that long and then I'll finally be at a true place of learning. I'll be in my element."

Her father held her close, "Just be careful. You...you're a very special girl."

Nissa whispered, "I just wish mother were here to see me off."

She couldn't see her father's expression harden. His words didn't quite reach his voice..."No, you don't."

Nissa is a barbarian with the sage background, an academic who believes she is destined to be a great scholar and possibly a wizard. Her rage manifests as the hag blood she inherited from her mother. The hags of the fey moor cursed Nissa's mother into giving birth to a hag child and Nissa's mother died in childbirth. Nissa's father knew and gave her a special tincture to keep the haggish blood at bay. Nissa believes the medicine is for her chronic headaches.

Stats forthcoming. I'm planning on multiclassing her as a Pact of the Tome Warlock with an archfey patron (something hag related, preferably).

Click to expand...

Timberfall to Kingsport is a hell of a trip. Kingsport is in the Central Marches, which is the near the bottom of the peninsula of the largest of the continents. I'm not saying the trip can't be made... but there's a story there somewhere. You can name that particular ocean while you're at it.

As for the character concept, I'm in love with it.

I would love to get in on this as well.

Is there any word on gods/pantheon, or will that be part of the world-building?

Is there any part of the world particularly suited to desert or grasslands/savannah? Possibly the smaller island/continent on the southern side of the largest continent?

My first thought is to try to get Talashia in this, but it would take some rules hacks, because there's no way to do a 'storm sorceror' in the rules as-is right now. The closest there is would be a blue dragon sorceror, but that has a lot of 'dragon baggage' associated with it. Another way to go might be to create an 'elemental patron' warlock.

Of course, neither approach really addresses the issue of there not being many good lightning spells in the rules...

So yeah...I will re-think this.

Great worldbuilding stuff to start with though! Really good to see you running a game again.

I could also make the trip be from Timberfall to where ever the campaign is starting. Perhaps she is still on her way to Kingsport when the first adventure starts?

At any rate, I'll cook up some stats soon, hopefully later today.

Thinking a Bard, a Druid, or a 'green knight' Paladin perhaps. Things I haven't done yet in 5e.

Not sure which! Still cogitating.

In the interest of making this easier until the continents are named, the largest (the one with the Central Marches) will simply be #1. We'll go clockwise, so the southern continent will be #2, and the eastern (with Romeda) #3. The tiny island between #1 and #3 will be #4. I completely despise this naming convention, so hopefully I (we?) can come up with some names relatively soon.

pathfinderq1 said:

I would love to get in on this as well.

Is there any word on gods/pantheon, or will that be part of the world-building?

Is there any part of the world particularly suited to desert or grasslands/savannah? Possibly the smaller island/continent on the southern side of the largest continent?

Click to expand...

In this instance I think we'll use the normal d&d pantheon. I guess the Forgotten Realms pantheon is considered default now, so we'll use that. I've never been a big fan of complex pantheons and this domain goes with this god type of stuff... but since that one is already made it's simple enough to use.

Caprion on #1 is a desert region. I think it would be fair to say that #2 could be consistent with a desert/grassland region. What kind of culture were you thinking? Seems like that setting would invite smatterings of (what we consider) uncivilized tribal villages and whatnot, but still have room for more developed regions as well. Again, just a thought.. I'd like to hear what you're thinking.

Shayuri said:

My first thought is to try to get Talashia in this, but it would take some rules hacks, because there's no way to do a 'storm sorceror' in the rules as-is right now. The closest there is would be a blue dragon sorceror, but that has a lot of 'dragon baggage' associated with it. Another way to go might be to create an 'elemental patron' warlock.

Of course, neither approach really addresses the issue of there not being many good lightning spells in the rules...

So yeah...I will re-think this.

Great worldbuilding stuff to start with though! Really good to see you running a game again.

Click to expand...

Thanks! As much as I loved Talashia, I'd really like to see what else you can come up with. I think we're all new enough to this system (I certainly am, at least) that we don't need to muddy the waters with a lot of rules variants just yet. In short, I agree with you re-thinking it.

And I plan on trying to use the phrase "dragon baggage" as much as possible now. Thanks for that!

Kiraya_TiDrekan said:

I could also make the trip be from Timberfall to where ever the campaign is starting. Perhaps she is still on her way to Kingsport when the first adventure starts?

At any rate, I'll cook up some stats soon, hopefully later today.

Click to expand...

I'm assuming your purpose of going to Kingsport is to join Blackthorn Academy? That could be interesting. Obviously they won't teach you since you (so far) don't have any arcane ability, but I'm sure someone there is insightful enough to see the truth of Nissa's heritage and would be willing to take her in just to keep an eye on her, if nothing else. Of course you'd have access to the massive Blackthorn Library, and probably suffer greatly from being bullied by those students with true power. Just thoughts...

Hmm, yes, that sound like a good of material to work with.

Just as a (Very) rough pass idea, borrowing Continent #2. The "island" itself was once mostly grassland, around a mountainous center- most of the populace (of various races) tended towards herding nomads and small farming villages. There was one major city (the map is just a bit to small for me to make out the name) which began as a simple port and became a relatively luxurious metropolis, home to the island's rulers and nobility. Over the last few (or few hundred?) years the lifeless desert has begun to spread outwards from the base of the central mountains, threatening the entire island's ecology. My character (type/race as yet unknown) might be from one of the agrarian societies (farmer or herder) or from the main city, and has been sent somewhere (possibly Kingsport) to seek an answer to the mystery. Or perhaps instead of desolation, some sort of critter (more exotic than orcs or goblins- like undead or weird aberration things) is spreading outwards, and simply fighting them is no real solution? Or "dragon-baggage" (a la Smaug), where a dragon of unusual size and power has decided to take the island as a base, threatening both the agricultural herds and fields as well as the great city which depends on peaceful unhindered trade- again, simply fighting the beast is no viable solution.

If from an agricultural center, then Folk Hero or Outlander, dispatched with the support and good wishes of their folk. If from the main city, possibly exiled or in disgrace, and looking for answers in the hope of redeeming themselves or their family (depending on the level of disgrace).

Let me think on things for a bit.